Let It Rain
by Rosebud5
Summary: Set during the days when Sodapop lost Ponyboy and Sandy all in one week, this two-shot tells how Soda dealt with the losses. And one thing is for sure. He couldn't have done it without Darry. NOT slash, just brotherly love.  Set during the book
1. Part One

Hey guys! Rosey here! OMG, it's been FOREVER since I wrote an _Outsiders _fic! *Huggles the gang* I'm so sorry guys! But never fear! I'm back! I was re-reading _The Outsiders _...again...And I couldn't help but wonder what my darling Sodapop went through when Pony and Sandy left him all in one week. So some ideas rolled around in my head, and this two-shot came out! I hope you enjoy! It's sad, but also has great brotherly love! Er'body say "Awww!"

Disclaimer: Own. Nothing. Just. Storyline.

~Rosey

* * *

><p><strong>Let It Rain<strong>

"Soda? I'm home, little buddy," Darry Curtis walked through the front door, wiping rain water from his face. When no response came except the pounding of rain outside the house, Darry bit his lip. _Soda must either be at work, or he's mad at me, _the oldest Curtis brother thought, his mind full of guilt. _I wouldn't blame him for a second._

Putting the keys on the table, Darry walked toward Soda and Pony's room. "Little buddy?" he called out gently, reaching the closed door and softly knocking. "You in there, Pepsi-Cola?" When still no response came, Darry slowly opened the door and stepped into the room.

Sodapop was sitting on the floor, leaning back against the bed. His usually cheerful face was so sad that Darry felt his heart break. Soda's knees were pressed against his chest, and his chin was rested atop them, his arms wrapped around his legs. Wearily, the near-seventeen-year-old lifted his dull eyes to his older brother before looking down again. "Hey Dare."

"Hey," Darry mumbled, sitting on the floor next to his younger brother. He waited for a moment, thunder rumbling outside, before he spoke. "No word?"

"No," Soda whispered, running a hand through his golden hair before butting his face in his arms.

"You alright?" Darry asked gently, expecting Soda to nod yes as he had for the past three days when asked this question. This time, however, Soda was still for a moment before slightly shaking his head no. Darry paused before putting his hand on his little brother's shoulder. "We'll get him back, Soda."

"Sure," Soda's head snapped up and tears were in his eyes. "'Cause he's really gonna come back after his oldest brother hit him!" Soda shivered. "He could be dead in a ditch somewhere, Darry, and we would never know it!"

"Soda-"

"It's kinda your fault, you know," Soda muttered, the tears gathering hard in his eyes. Darry started in shock as his usually kind and happy-go-lucky brother turned on him angrily. "Dang it Dare he was just bein' a kid! He was just..." Soda stopped, taking a deep, shuddering breath and closing his eyes, sending some stubborn tears down his cheeks. After a pause, he looked over at Darry again, this time with guilt in his brown eyes. "I'm sorry, Darry. I didn't mean it."

"But you're right. It's true," Darry mumbled, looking down at his Converse and listening to the rain pound the roof.

"Yeah, it is," Soda looked at him with a slightly cocked smile.

Suddenly, the clock struck five, and Darry looked over at Soda with a feeble smile. "Hey, shouldn't you be getting ready for your date with Sandy?"

Soda's face dropped so fast Darry would have missed it if he had blinked. Soda pulled his knees closer to his chest and his eyes looked down heavily. "Umm...no," he mumbled in a broken voice.

"Why not?" Darry asked, confused. Soda loved Sandy so much...why would the date be called off? "Is she sick?"

"N-no," Soda faltered, his voice soft and hurt.

"Are _you _sick?" a new worry filled Darry and he put the back of his hand to Soda's cheek and then to his brother's forehead, pushing aside the blond hair. Soda's skin felt slightly warm under Darry's hand.

"No," Soda pulled away, anger returning to his voice. "Darry...Sandy cheated on me."

"What?" Darry looked at his brother in shock. "Oh, Pepsi-Cola...I'm so sorry, little buddy."

"But...um...That's not all, Dare. She's...um...Dare, she's gonna have his baby," Soda whispered, his voice so full of pain it was weak. Rain danced harder on the roof. "I told her I still loved her and would raise the kid as my own. I even offered to marry her. But she just said she never wanted to see me again."

Darry couldn't believe what he was hearing. Sodapop was the most selfless, kind, and loving person in the world...Or at least in Oklahoma. How could Sandy be so cruel? Soda had even offered to marry her after she cheated on him so badly! Darry faced Soda again, who was looking ashamed and embarrassed. _If anyone should be ashamed and embarrassed, it should be Sandy, _Darry thought angrily. He hesitated for a moment before gently running a hand through Soda's hair like their father used to do when one of the Curtis brothers were sad or scared or sick. And at the moment, Darry was pretty sure Soda was all three. Sad and scared for sure, and at least emotionally drained, if not verging on ill. Soda looked up dully at Darry for a moment, forcing a tiny smile, before looking down again, biting his lip hard.

Suddenly, Darry heard the front door burst open and the familiar voice of Dallas Winston calling out anxiously. Soda was to his feet first, sprinting dizzily into the front of the house. Darry followed half a second after.

Dally sat at the Curtis's table, rain water pouring off him onto the wooden table top. His hair was a mess, falling wildly over his forehead, and it looked as if he had been in somewhat of a fight. Soda was to him first, standing before him and struggling not to fall. "Where is he?" Soda demanded shakily. "Where's Pony."

Dallas continued to struggle to catch his breath before facing Soda with a not-quite-defeated smile. "I told the cops they were in Texas, man."

But that's all Sodapop heard before grabbing the keys off the table and racing out the door into the downpour.

* * *

><p>I know in the movie it says Two-Bit wanted to go toTexasto find Pony and Johnny, but Soda decided to do so too in this story:) I think he would...He's Pony's brother, after all!<p>

So there's part one...Off to part two!

Please...Be polite and **REVIEW!**

~Rosey


	2. Part Two

Here's part two! Enjoy! AND **NONE** OF THIS IS DARRY/SODA SLASH! IT'S JUST BROTHERLY LOVE! Just thought I'd put that out there;)

~Rosey

* * *

><p><strong>Let It Rain: Part Two<strong>

"SODA!" Darry screamed, racing after his younger brother through the downpour. Soda was in the Curtis' truck, speeding down an old dirt (now mud) road, abandoned except for some lone trees. Darry was running after the truck as fast as he could, but he knew in moments Soda would be out of his sight. And then he'd have lost both his brothers. "SODA COME BACK! DALLY LIED TO THE COPS! HE'S NOT IN TEXAS! THINK ABOUT IT! WOULD DALLY REALLY TELL THE TRUTH TO THE CO-"

Suddenly, the truck slammed to a stop and the door was jerked open. Sodapop stumbled out of the car and fell to the ground on the side of the road, sitting in the tall grass with his knees drawn to his chest, the rain pelting him hard. Taking a relieved breath, Darry raced over to Soda, skidding down beside him. He hadn't even caught his breath before Soda whispered weakly "I'm so dumb sometimes I shock myself."

"Soda, you're not du-"

"I don't know the way to Texas!" Soda groaned, slamming his head back against a wooden fence post behind him.

Darry was about to open his mouth to talk when Soda spoke again, this time in a defeated tone. "They ain't in Texas, are they?"

"No, little buddy. Probably not," Darry mumbled, shading his eyes against the torrential down pour.

"Dang it!" Soda hissed furiously. "I'm so stupid. I'm so..."

But that's when the dam broke. Sodapop buried his face in his arms and started crying. Darry paused for a moment before wrapping his younger brother in a tight hug. The rain continued to fall, right along with Soda's tears. And so Darrel Curtis held his younger brother on the side of an abandoned road during a rain storm and let him cry. The shuddering breaths soon turned into broken sobs, and Soda wouldn't stop shaking. Darry rubbed his younger brother's shoulders gently, resting his chin on top of Soda's head. "Shh...Shh...It's gonna be okay, little buddy," Darry soothed as the sobs continued. "It's gonna be alright, Pepsi Cola." He stroked Soda's hair like their father would have, letting his brother cry into his shoulder.

After about ten minutes, Soda's sobs turned into helpless yawns. Darry gently helped his brother to his feet and lead him back to the truck. He all but lifted Soda into the passenger seat, and then climbed into the driver seat himself. Turning on the windshield wipers, Darry slowly began to drive home. He looked over at Soda worriedly. Sodapop's eyes were shut, and his face was drenched with tears and rain. His golden hair clung, dripping wet, to his forehead, and his face was flushed as if with fever. Darry carefully reached over a hand and touched Soda's cheek. It burned under his fingers. Praying it was just because his own hands were so cold, Darry looked back to the road and tried to concentrate through the pouring rain. Soda shifted weakly in the passenger seat, and Darry bit his lip. Sodapop was usually the happiest, wildest, most happy-go-lucky person in the world. He shouldn't have to go through so much pain at all, much less all within about three days.

"S-Sandy...Pony..." Soda mumbled sleepily. Darry looked over as his brother began sleep talking. Usually it was Pony who was having a nightmare, and Soda was the one comforting him. Now Soda was the one whose head was turning fretfully, his brows drawn together against the bad dream. Darry reached out a hand and gently rubbed Soda's shoulder. "We're almost home, little buddy. We're almost home."

When Darry pulled into the driveway, he gingerly reached over and shook Soda's shoulder. "We're home, little brother."

Soda wearily opened his eyes and smiled slightly. _Only Sodapop would be able to manage a smile at a time like this_, Darry mused.

"If you tell any of the guys about this I'll get ya good," Soda whispered hoarsely, forcing a chuckle.

"I won't," Darry promised. Soda grinned weakly before sliding his eyes shut again. Darry knew he had already fallen back asleep. Managing the smallest hint of a smile, Darry walked around to the passenger side of the truck and gently picked Soda up. His brother's head lay on his shoulder, and his eyes remained closed. Darry was worried at how light Soda was. He carefully mounted the steps and walked into the house.

Dally had already konked out on the couch, and Darry was silently glad the rough greaser wasn't awake to see Soda being carried like a little kid. Darrel walked back to Soda's room and gently laid his brother on the bed. He pulled Soda's Converse off and then grabbed a blanket, tugging it over his brother's shoulders. He put a hand to Soda's forehead again, and was relieved when it didn't feel quite so warm. He went into the bathroom quickly and poured a glass of water and grabbed an Aspirin, putting it by Soda's bedside for when he woke up. He then patted Soda's hair for a moment before turning to leave the room.

"Darry?"

Darry turned around to find Soda looking over at him with half-shut eyes. "Yeah, Pepsi Cola?"

"Do you think if I write a letter to Pony, Dally will be able to give it to him?"

"I'm sure he could."

"And what if I write a letter to Sandy?"

"If you want to, little buddy," Darry mumbled, secretly not wanting Soda to communicate with Sandy. "But no writing right now. You need rest."

"But-"

"No, Soda. Just get some sleep. You can do it in the morning," Darry reassured him.

"Okay. Good night, Darry," Soda gave in.

"Good night, little buddy."

And as Darry left the room, Soda opened his notebook for the first time since he dropped out, picked up a pen, took the Aspirin Darry had left him, and began to write.

* * *

><p>The End! Well I hope you all liked it and "aww"ed at least once:)<p>

**REVIEWS GET YOU A HUG FROM THREE OUTSIDERS OF YOUR CHOOSING!**

Stay Gold,

Rosey


End file.
